[Mike Irwin]

"A .357 Coonan is going to be plenty loud, too, fired through a suppressor. And the amount of gas escaping from the gap is going to be a function of total pressure."

Maybe.

EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING depends on the suppressor's ability to efficiently handle the volume of powder gas that is generated.

One size does NOT necessarily fit all.

Think of it this way, because it's an exact and appropriate analog -- the muffler on a car (a car muffler and the suppressor on a handgun have the exact same function, and often operate in very similar ways).

Souped up 1954 Chevy, 8 cylinder engine.

With the stock muffler it's plenty quiet.

With a Thrush performance glasspack, it has the ability to give your great grand kids headaches.

The difference is in the design of what the muffler is intended to do and how it processes the volume of gas from the engine.

As with car mufflers, in suppressors, one size does NOT fit all.



"That would be a closer comparison to a 9mm or .45 for total operating pressure."

A 9mm and the .357 Magnum operate in the same pressure band -- 30,000 to 35,000 PSI.



"Did anyone test fire that gun with standard .38s?"

Yes.

It was still in the range of a .22 Long Rifle, maybe a bit quieter, but still MORE than loud enough to A) make the suppressor hanging off the end of the muzzle pretty much worthless and B) Not the dainty little bunny farts that some apparently think it would produce.